Biratnagar road project in limbo

  • BMC to blacklist the contractor if the work is not started right after Chhath

Biratnagar, October 26

Work upgrading the Shesh–Bargachhi road stretch, a major road section in Biratnagar Metropolitan City, has been left in a lurch due to gross negligence of the contractor.

Tundi Raman Construction JV company was awarded the contract to upgrade the 2.5 km road under the Rani-Biratnagar-Itahari-Dharan road project a year ago. The work was to be completed within two-and-a-half years.

Earlier, the contractor had pledged to begin the project after the metropolis completed laying down water pipes along the road stretch. The metropolis had completed the task a year ago.

BMC Mayor Bhim Parajuli acknowledged that millions of people had been affected due to the poor condition of the road. He said that the metropolis would blacklist the contracting company if it still did not commence the work after Chhath.

Deepak Bhattarai, chief of the Rani-Biratnagar-Itahari-Dharan road project, however, blamed the metropolis for delay in the work. “The Biratnagar Metropolitan City didn’t complete the water pipe installation on time and that hampered our work,” maintained Bhattarai.

Meanwhile, Abhinash Bohora of Tundi Raman JV Construction said his company would start the project right after Chhath and complete the project within the stipulated time-frame.